Re: [boost] What is Boost?

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-09-30 15:12:33

Rob Stewart <stewart_at_[hidden]> writes:

> From: David Abrahams <dave_at_[hidden]>
>> Rob Stewart <stewart_at_[hidden]> writes:
>> > From: David Abrahams <dave_at_[hidden]>
>> >> 
>> >> * When you download Boost, you get the whole collection
>> >
>> > As others have said, this should be on another page.  
>> 
>> No, it needs to be part of "What is Boost?"  When these people asked
>> that question, they wanted to know what they were getting.
>
> I disagree.  

You can disagree all you want, but I consider the feedback I got from
newbies about what they need to know to be fairly good data, and I
wouldn't second guess it unless you had some data to back up your
position, too.

> A bullet or other prominent link that developers new
> to Boost can follow to find information on what Boost is at that
> level of detail would work fine.  IOW, I don't want to put
> information on the home page that would go over the head of a
> manager considering Boost, yet I want a developer to be able to
> find that information quickly.
>
> As has been oft mentioned, the home page is too busy.  Adding
> more won't make it better.  I want to reduce the home page
> clutter while making important information accessible.

I don't care whether this is on the home page or not, as long as it's
not overshadowed by other stuff.

>> >> * There are some dependencies among libraries, but they are not
>> >>   tightly coupled
>> >
>> > That's good, but I'm not sure whether you need to say that to the
>> > newcomer.  At least shorten it to, "Low inter-library coupling,"
>> > and put it in the bulleted list above.
>> 
>> That doesn't seem like a very significant change, but it also sounds
>> like an improvement.
>
> Making it shorter is better, but I was really trying to suggest
> that it ought to be on that "developers new to Boost, look here"
> page I'm suggesting.

And why shouldn't that be right on the front page (eliminating much of
the other stuff from the front page, of course)?

>> >> * Many boost libraries can be used just by putting the library
>> >>   collection's top directory in your #include path. Complete
>> >>   instructions for getting started are at: ___
>> >
>> > Covered above.  This should not be on the home page.
>> 
>> Whether or not any of this section belongs there really depends on the
>> rest of the organization of the home page.  That said, this point needs
>> to go whatever section contains the rest of the information here.  All
>> of this information is needed in whatever introductory section we end
>> up with.
>
> I just want *two* introductory sections 

Why?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com